Decisions
by thebestoftimes11
Summary: All Adam Banks ever wanted to do was play ice hockey, go all the way. But when he's faced with a life-changing decision that would mean leaving everything he had behind to pursue his dream, is professional ice hockey really what he wants? Now multi chap!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! My first story for the Mighty Ducks fandom. I spent a while reading some and felt compelled to write my own, so here it is! I love the 3 films, they are all truly brilliant. This story is set after D2 during the summer before they meet up with Luis, Russ, Julie, Ken, Dean and Dwayne again to go to Eden Hall. I also decided just to introduce Wayne Gretzky into it, only for a little bit though. Just friendship between Charlie and Adam. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm do not own any of the characters or the Mighty Ducks series.**

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><p>Sunday mornings were Adam's favourite. They always had been since he'd left the Hawks. Before, he would have to drag his body out of bed at 5AM for a gruelling 2 hour practice, endure a freezing 15 minutes waiting for a shower then feel his body go numb as the hot water cascaded down his frozen limbs. But that was then.<p>

Now that he was with the Ducks, Adam could lie in until 9AM, long enough to feel the sun's rays beating down on him through his bedroom blinds, enjoy a shower in the luxurious warmth of his own house then get suited and booted for a morning of street hockey with some of his closest friends. This particular morning just felt like any other. But the events of the day ahead were to be rather different. Adam awoke, the glorious sunshine teasing him out of his bed and towards the window. Opening his blinds, Adam was pleased with what he saw. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud interrupting the clear sky, the grass a luscious green, the birds cheerfully singing their morning songs. Adam savoured the feeling he woke up with these mornings, one of happiness and contentment, a stark contrast to the feelings of depression and unhappiness he would wake up with before Hawk practice. Adam stepped out of his bedroom and tentatively crept towards the bathroom, trying, in vain, not to make too much noise as to waken his older brother, Roy, who was so grouchy in the mornings! Adam reached the bathroom and gently closed the door behind him, pulling the latch over and locking himself in. He reached into the shower cubicle and turned it on, full blast. As he stretched up for a towel off the top shelf, Adam caught sight of himself in the mirror. He hadn't properly looked in the mirror since his Hawk days, when appearance seemed to count for a lot. Now, with Charlie and the Ducks, the thing that was most important with them was having fun. Adam prepared for his shower, setting out the bathmat and a towel for when he was finished. He stepped into the steamy cubicle, sighing as the warm water flooded down around him. These were the best moments, when he was alone, no one rushing him or telling him to get things done. Just himself.

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><p>Charlie stood at the door to the Banks' house, feeling slightly intimidated by the huge structure looming in front of him. Yeah, he'd been there many a time, but the large building was still frightening when you're used to a small apartment like Charlie. He pressed the doorbell, listening to the short tune that played inside the house. Upon hearing footsteps thundering down the stairs, Charlie took a step back,<p>

"3-2-1-"

"Sorry!" Adam gasped, bursting out of the front door. Charlie laughed as he gave his best friend a manly hug,

"No problem, Adam. I've got the countdown perfect now." Adam laughed as he remembered that Charlie would try and anticipate the exact moment that Adam would come racing out of the door. Adam grabbed his hockey bag from the front step and pointed towards the road,

"Shall we get going?" Charlie nodded and led the way down to the tarmac basketball courts where they played hockey with balls and rusty old barrels.

"Have we got the whole team this morning?" Adam asked, lengthening his stride to keep up with his friend. Charlie nodded,

"Yep, all 8 original Ducks. You, me, Goldie, Averman, Guy, Connie, Jesse and Fulton."

"I'm so glad that I'm on the same team as Fulton. He'd beat the living daylights out of me if I were still a Hawk." Adam replied, thinking of the time that Fulton had shoved him, Larson and McGill into the garbage for teasing some of the Ducks.

"Yeah, I think everyone's just that little bit wary of him and his short temper." Charlie pushed his hockey bag further up on his shoulder as they rounded the corner at the top of Adam's street.

"I'd be more afraid if he had Dean with him this summer."

"Fortunately for us, they had to go home for 2 months. We won't be seeing the Bash Brothers again for a while!" Adam laughed as they came to the gates of the court. The were the first two to arrive, and Charlie took this to his advantage. Crouching down to pull on his skates, Charlie gave a small smile,

"How about a one on one game, eh?" Charlie asked, pulling on his helmet. Adam grinned as he prepared for battle,

"You're on, Conway."

"Let's go, Banksie."

Adam and Charlie had been playing for almost half an hour, when their game was interrupted by a tall, athletic looking man with tanned skin and sunglasses.

"Sorry, we're, erm, just having a bit of fun waiting for our friends to arrive." Charlie stammered, slightly nervous. The man pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and smiled at Charlie,

"I know that, son. I'm not here to pick a fight, I'm just here to propose a little offer to your friend here." Adam stared at the man, slack-jawed as he took the strong hand outstretched towards him,

"Wayne Gretzky, I believe that you are Adam Banks, yes?" Adam nodded, hardly able to speak. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Charlie, looking just as shocked as he felt.

"You played outstandingly in the Junior Goodwill Games last month, and I've come here to ask you something. I'm searching for the top hockey players from the USA and Canada to compete in the World Hockey Championships, and I want you, Adam, to be on the team." Adam looked shocked. Would this mean leaving everything behind? Minneapolis, which he'd grown to love? The Ducks?

"Well, I'd have to think about it, and talk to my father of course-"

"I've already spoken to him. He gave his consent, yours too. I'll expect to see you ready at the airport tomorrow morning." Gretzky turned to leave, pulling his sunglasses back down over his eyes. Adam stepped forward,

"But, what about all of my friends?"

"Adam, you have to start making sacrifices. You'll make lots of new friends during the championship." Adam turned to Charlie, who looked stricken. Was he prepared to leave all of his friends and family, for ice hockey? Charlie dropped his stick and stumbled towards his friend,

"Don't leave, Adam. The Ducks need you. We all need you, Guy, Jesse, Averman, me, all of us." Adam pulled his helmet off as he embraced his closest friend. When he was younger, all he'd wanted was an offer like the one Gretzky had just proposed. But now, well, Adam didn't want that any more. He was quite happy playing hockey with the Ducks. He didn't want to be part of an international team. He wanted the Ducks.

"Don't worry, Charlie. I'm going nowhere. The only person that's going somewhere here is you, and you're going down!" Charlie laughed as he pulled away and grabbed his stick,

"Ooh, you are on, Banks!"

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><p><strong>Did you enjoy it? I hope the ending was okay. I was torn between this ending or writing one involving the rest of the team in Adam's dilema, but decided to go with the more lighthearted approach. Thanks for taking the time to read! Constructive critisism welcome! :)<strong>

**thebestoftimes11 x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Thanks for reviewing, AngelGreyson! I read your review over and over and realised that you were right, Charlie would have been more supportive of Adam. So, I decided to make this a multiple chapter story! I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

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><p>Charlie threw himself against the metal fence, gasping for breath as he dragged an arm across his sweaty brow. He dropped to the ground, reaching for his water bottle and taking a hasty slurp. Adam was another who was exhausted and sat down beside Charlie, removing his helmet, salty sweat running into his eyes. Neither Duck uttered a word, both had plenty on their minds. As Adam watched the team skating about, laughing and genuinely having fun, he thought about the offer again. It would be amazing to play on the world stage, it was his shot to really showcase his talent. Besides, if he didn't make the move now, would he ever get another chance? Would he just be nothing, not even a has been? A never was? Adam thought of how hard he'd worked to become a Hawk, so that he could move onto bigger things, which he had. Maybe he should take this golden opportunity. It was a one in a lifetime chance after all. He just wished that Charlie could be slightly more supportive. They were best friends, weren't they? Charlie knew how much this would mean to Adam. Adam sighed as he snuck a glance at his friend, who appeared to be wrapped up in his own thoughts. He didn't know what to do.<p>

Charlie rested his head on his bare knees, staring down at the painted lines on the tarmac. He felt awful. When Gretzky had proposed that offer to Adam, he'd only thought of himself and not of his best friend. He hadn't acknowledged how much doing this championship would mean to Adam, who had wanted a shot like that for nearly his whole life. He remembered something Adam had told him about during the Junior Goodwill Games...

***flashback***

_'But all the scouts are here watching me! This is my shot!' Adam protested, but Bombay would not give in so easily,_

_'Adam, you're young, you're going to have plenty of shots.'_

***flashback over***

Adam had always been waiting for another shot, and Charlie knew that. He hadn't exactly been the most supportive of friends when Adam had been faced with that decision, that was another thing Charlie knew. But he was really feeling the blow now. Of course he would miss Adam terribly, but this could be the main stone to pave the way to success for him. Charlie raised his head and tilted it back slightly, staring up into the crystal clear sky. He didn't know what to do.

The game was over- a success despite a minor incident involving Fulton, Goldberg and that annoying wall that everyone (except Averman) wanted rid of. Charlie and Adam had hardly spoken throughout the game, leaving the rest of the team puzzling over why the two, usually lively, friends were appearing so reserved. Connie skated over to Charlie, she was clearly worrying about one of her closest friends,

"Charlie, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, Connie, yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind at the moment."

"I'm free to walk home with you if you need someone to talk to?"

"Thanks, Connie, but Averman's staying at mine for the night. I have him to heap my troubles upon." Charlie said, chuckling slightly. Connie smiled, glad to see that Charlie looked a little happier, and patted his arm as she and Guy set off home together. Adam watched the duo, Guy's arm slung lazily around Connie's waist. He would miss them, both of them, their antics on the ice and their friendliness off. He would miss all of the Ducks, every single one of them. They were all a part of him now. Each and every one of them had a special place, either in his head or in his heart. Though mostly in his head. The thought of Goldberg being in Adam's heart just didn't seem quite right. Adam looked around at all of his friends and drank in their appearances, their mannerisms, their styles and voices. Because, this was probably the last time he'd see them for a good while.

Charlie met up with an extremely sweaty Averman at the front gates to the courts. He scanned the court one more time for Adam, who appeared to have left already. Charlie sighed as he and Averman began the tedious walk home, Averman chatting all the way,

"Averman, please, just be quiet, even for just a moment!" Charlie snapped, turning to Averman, who frowned and began muttering to himself,

"Just trying to make small talk." Averman pushed his glasses further up his nose, staring down at his feet as they crossed the road. They crossed to in front of Adam's house and Charlie stared up at the huge building as he walked past. Looking up at Adam's window, he noticed his friend standing at the window, looking forlorn. Charlie desperately tried to make eye contact with Adam, but the other boy just stared blankly at the sky, then turned away. Charlie sighed as he continued down the street after Averman, who had covered quite a distance since Charlie had stopped. Averman halted at the corner and Charlie jogged the last few meters to catch up. They crossed the road between parked cars and made their way into Mickey's Diner, where Casey worked. Casey, dressed in her yellow uniform, was standing by the coffee machine, pouring frothy milk into the steamy black liquid. She smiled warmly at her customer as she handed them the mug, after giving it a quick stir. Once the customer had walked away, over to one of the booths, Charlie approached the counter, Averman following closely behind.

"Hi, Mum." Charlie said, spinning on one of the stools and reaching for a sachet of sugar. Casey gently slapped his hand away,

"Now, now Charlie. Where are you two troublemakers off to?"

"Just going home, is it okay if Averman stays for a while?" Casey nodded,

"Course, as long as his mother knows." It was Averman's turn to nod this time,

"Of course she does, Lester can't go anywhere without Mrs. Averman knowing." Casey laughed slightly as Charlie stood up. She leant across the counter and fondly kissed her son on the cheek, much to his displeasure,

"Mum! Not in public!" Charlie grinned, rubbing the lipstick off his cheek. Casey smiled as Averman punched Charlie on the shoulder, and the duo left the diner. Casey stared after her son happily, fondly and lovingly. She was lucky to have him.

Charlie grimaced as he fiercely rubbed his cheek, trying in vain to remove the pink traces from his face. Averman chuckled quietly to himself as Charlie began grumbling,

"I wish she wouldn't do that in public!" Charlie groaned, shifting his hockey bag to his other shoulder as they came to the block of flats where Charlie lived. Averman pushed the door open and held it open for Charlie, who smiled a thanks and led the way up to their flat. He pushed the key into the lock and wiggled it about for a while, before the door finally opened,

"We really should get that lock fixed." Charlie murmured to himself, dropping his hockey bag beside the front door. Averman placed his beside Charlie's and dropped his denim jacket on top. Charlie led the way to the kitchenette and poured two glasses of lemonade. Averman took his gratefully and gulped it down in 2 mouthfuls. Charlie gaped at his friend then took a small sip of his own drink,

"Come on, Charlie. Show me your new jersey that you've been blabbing on about." Averman said, itching to leave the kitchen. Charlie, thankful to have something to take his mind off the situation with Adam, took another sip of his drink and took Averman through to his room. It was a typical teenage boys room, posters covering every inch of the walls, messy bed, clothes strewn everywhere. Charlie picked up his new jersey that was hanging on the back of his chair, and held it up for Averman to see,

"My mum bought me it for playing well in the Junior Goodwill Games." Charlie smiled. The jersey was a dark navy colour, CONWAY written across the back in white writing, with his number, 96, underneath. One the front was the Ducks logo with USA DUCKS embellished across the front. Averman gazed at the jersey, conjuring up ideas for an identical one in his head. Charlie pulled the jersey over his head and grinned at his friend,

"You haven't seen the best bit yet." Charlie said. He pointed to his chest, and there, on the left, was a white C, C for Captain of course. Averman grinned at his friend as he flopped down on the bed,

"You know, Adam seemed pretty quiet today. Come to think of it, so did you. Everything alright?" Averman asked. The mention of Adam's name brought Charlie hurtling back to reality. He really had to sort out what had happened earlier. He needed to encourage his friend and tell him to reach out for his dream. Averman sat up, a concerned look on his face as he watched his friend, who appeared to be quite out of it,

"Charlie? Are you okay?" Charlie snapped back to the present and looked over at Averman,

"Sorry, Les, I have to go and sort something out." Charlie replied, hurrying out of the room. Averman just stared after him, then lay back on the bed again, sighing.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I'll try and upload the next chapter soon, though I have exams all next week so I'll be studying most of the time. <strong>

**thebestoftimes11 x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I have returned! I'm so sorry for abandoning you for about 6 months, I feel awful! However, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love you all! Here you go :)**

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><p>Charlie was running blindly, battered Nike's beating the ground with each hurried step. He had to get to Adam's house, to encourage him to reach for his dreams. To support him. To boost his dwindling confidence. To- to-to-<p>

_Bang_!

Charlie hit the ground with a sickening thud. He groaned, rolling onto his side. Using the wall to help himself up, Charlie felt himself over for cuts, only managing to find one on the side of his head. Rubbing a grubby hand over his face, Charlie continued to the Banks' residence, more subdued this time. Stopping at the end of the path, the boy felt weak and almost vulnerable. He wasn't afraid of Adam, more afraid of the consequences of his honesty. But it was for the better. Adam would be back after the tournament was over anyway, it wasn't as if he was leaving for ever. Only for a few months. Realising this made Charlie feel better, and he walked up the path with renewed vigour in his step. He pressed the doorbell, stood back and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, Adam came down the stairs, his steps hard and thumping, not at all like the light steps he'd taken when running down the stairs that very morning.

"Oh, Charlie." Adam said as he opened the door, his voice hollow.

"A-Adam." Charlie croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Can I help you?"

'Now, Charlie Conway, is the moment. This could be your only chance.' The boy thought to himself. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began.

"Adam, I came here to apologise to you. I've been an awful friend and I haven't supported you at all. I think you should chase your dreams and take this golden opportunity. I always have, I just thought of only myself and I was too busy wallowing in my self-pity to notice. It's just, you're the best friend I've ever had and after all we've been through, I just didn't want to lose you to some other kids. I love you like a brother and, well, good luck, Adam." Charlie finished, a single precious crystal droplet rolling down his cheek. Adam momentarily looked stunned, at a complete loss for words, before stumbling out onto the front step and pulling his best friend into a warm embrace.

"I forgive you, Charlie. You have no idea how much that meant to me. Thank you." Charlie gave his friend a small smile.

"Glad I could be of assistance."

"Do you want to come inside? You kinda have a drop of blood rolling down your face."

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><p>Half an hour later, Adam and Charlie were seated on the couch, a huge scrapbook between them. Charlie laughed, before pointing to a grainy picture.<p>

"Look at this one, your first match with us in the Peewee's. Your face is like fizz!"

"This one's better, of everyone's faces when they saw me at practice that first time. I swear, if looks could kill, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Haha, look at Bombay's face when we won the league! I think he was just glad to get revenge on Riley." Adam nodded, turning the page then bursting into fresh peals of laughter. Charlie looked down at the page.

"Oh man, those outfits were really shabby now that I look back on it!" he exclaimed, staring at the photo from the Goodwill Games.

"Do you remember when we were playing Iceland and Dwayne got 2 minutes for roping that big goon who was gonna maul Connie?" Adam asked, pointing to a photo of jovial cowboy, but exceptional puck handler, Dwayne Robertson. Charlie nodded.

"That must have been one for the record books or _something_!" A photograph at the corner of the page caught Charlie's eye, one of the whole team when they were out playing Russ and his 'boys'. It was then Charlie a horrible realisation dawned on Charlie, and he gasped.

"What?"

"I forgot about Les, he's still at my house."

All Adam could do was laugh.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading! Sorry for the shortness of it. I think this may be the last chapter of Descisions, unless I can think of something else. If anyone has any ideas of how I could continue, they would be much appreciated! Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! :)**

**thebestoftimes11 x**


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